Leon Wilson to creative group head at Fallon

EXCLUSIVE – CB broke this news in late October, and now it’s official: Leon Wilson,creative director of Publicis Mojo Melbourne, is to start at Fallon Minneapolis as creative group head, reporting to fellow Aussie expat Darren Spiller, the recently appointed chief creative officer of Fallon U.S. As previously reported exclusively by CB, Wilson’s position as Melbourne CD will be filled by Franklin Tipton.

Wilson started his career in New Zealand at Colenso BBDO, then moved to London, where he worked at Mother for five years before shifting to Publicis Mojo, Melbourne in 2007.

Says Wilson: “Before I got my first job, it was Fallon’s ‘Evil Beaver’ad for Miller Lite, which I saw on a shots reel, that cemented it forme that I was doing the right thing wanting to get into advertising. Interms of overturning conventional thinking, BMW films are what mostpeople associate Fallon with, but for me it was ‘Evil Beaver’. It wascompletely unlike any other ad I’d seen, and a whole lot funnier.

“That was a decade ago, but in talking to various people overthere, it’s clear Fallon is ready for another creative renaissance.They have some very progressive approaches to discovering consumerinsights, an understanding of online that extends beyond just using thespace to actually creating products and applications for them (such asthe desktop social aggregator ‘Skimmer’), and a clear renewed sense ofpurpose. Plus the place is brimming with talented people, a couple ofwhom, Darren Spiller and Christy Peacock, I’ve already had the pleasureof working with at Mojo.”

Says Spiller (left), therecently appointed chief creative officer of Fallon U.S.: “The face ofadvertising has changed a lot in the last couple of years. At Fallon weare determined to build a communications company that is at theforefront of that new era in advertising.  That means going thedistance to acquire the right skill base to help make that a reality. Leon’s international experience and fresh thinking make him animportant part of our vision moving forward.”